Display-rack.



PATENTED JUNE'Q, 1903.

I No. 730,322.

3. B. WESTON. DISPLAY RAGK.

APPLICATION 21mm ArnJ. 1903.

H0 MODEL.

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Patented June 9, 1903.

EDWARD B. WESTON, OF DAYTON, OHIO.

DISPLAY-RACK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 730,322, dated June 9, 1903.

Application filed April 7, 1903. Serial No. 151,438. (lie model.)

' citizen of the United States, residing at Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and usefullm provements in Display-Racks, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My improvements relate to shelves or racks forthe display of goods, merchandise, and the like; and the purpose of my invention is to supply an inexpensive and attractive rack upon which samples of merchandise can be displayed from all sides without obstruction of view and at the same time to effectively brace and support the several shelves, so that the rack shall be very strong and rigid and capable of sustaining without injury a great weight of samples.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of my improved rack. Fig. 2 is a central vertical section of same.

My rack is constructed-in the shape of a pyramid, so as to be open on all sides for the display of merchandise.

A A are the four corner-supports, inclined toward each other upwardly and connected by the cross-bars a a and the tie rods b b to form a pyramidal framework.

B B are the shelves, made in halves, so that they can be easily removed and formed with tenons at the outer corners to lit around the supports and bring the side edges of the shelves flush with the outer faces of the sup ports.

To obtain the necessary rigidity without obstructing any of the display surface on the shelves, I provide as follows: C C are bracerods formed with an angle 0 0 near each end, so as to give a horizontal portion d for the ends of each brace-rod, and these ends are passed through the middle portion of the cross-bars an at topand bottom of the frame. These two rods run diagonally between the halves of each shelf, crossing each other from an upper cross-bar on one side to a lower cross-bar on the other, and the angle a for each rod is some distance inside the crossbars. The outer ends of the brace-rods are screw-threaded, and the rods are tightened by the thurnbmuts e 6. With this construction with the brace-rods properly tighteneda very stable and rigid structure is obtained, much more rigid than if the brace-rods ran diagonally through the cross-bars and much more rigid than if the angle of the bend in the rods abutted against the inner face of the crossbars. With these later constructions the bars would either remain loose or, if tightened, the pull would come directly between the diagonally opposite cross-bars, and a thrust on one side would tend to tighten one brace-rod and loosen the other.

lVith my improved construction when the rods are tightened the strain tends to straighten out the rod at the angle, and there is a spring tension which exerts itself horizontally on the frame, as well asa diagonal brace from opposite edges of the framework. I have found that this peculiar and novel construction gives a much more rigid framework than the older constructionsfor bracing a frame by diagonal rods or bars.

As the cross-bars only join together the two supports on the same side and the framework is joined together by the tie-rods, it. is very evident that the various parts of the'rack can be packed for shipment and storage in a close compact shape and that with the tie-rods and brace-rods the rack can be quickly and easily erected for use.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patout, is

1. In a displayrack, a pair of cross-braces diagonally connecting opposite sides of the rack, said cross-braces formed with an angle to pass horizontally through the sides, said angles being a substantial distance from the sides, with means for tightening the crossbraees, whereby a springv tension is obtained, substantially as described.

'2. In a display-rack, the combination with four corner-supports inclined toward each other, with cross-bars connecting the posts to form two sides, and tie-rods binding the two sides together to form a pyramidal framework, of shelves divided into halves, and diagonal cross-braces between the halves of the shelves connecting the two sides together, substantially as described.

3. In a display-rack, the combination with distance from the cross-bars, withmeans for IO tightening the cross-braces, whereby a spring tension is obtained, substantially as described.

EDWARD B. WESTON.

Witnesses:

EDWARD HIDDEN, E. G. SEAMER. 

